BIOGRAPHY - Name: Tulio Fuzato Born: June 16th, 1957 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil - Amputee (both legs) - STYLES & INFLUENCES: Ian Paice - Deep Purple, John Bohan - Led Zeppelin, Don Brewer - Grand Funk Railroad, and Lee Kerslake - Uriah Heep. HISTORY: I came from a very musical family. My father played guitar and my mother sang. I grew up listening to the Beatles and Hendrix, but my passion was the CLASSIC ENGLISH HARD ROCK such as Deep Purple, Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath, Uriah Heep, Grand Funk Railroad, etc... But I confess that I also loved PROGRESSIVE ROCK BANDS such as Genesis, Pink Floyd, Yes, ELP, Jethro Tull, and European Bands such as Eloy, Nektar, Jane Le Orme, PFM, and others. Since I was 15, I learned to play guitar with my father, but I always loved the swing, rhythm, and the power hit of a drum. I didn't start playing drums until 1982 when I was 25 years old. After I got married, I started with music at night, while being a graphic designer by day. I became a double leg amputee in July, 2003. Like alot of people, I had lost my job, ended a relationship, and went into depression. I had rent to pay, and lots of difficulties, including health problems; but I didn't seek help. I had very low self-esteem and at this time I was battling an addiction to barbituric: (anti-depressants and tranquilizers). I ended up in a terrible accident with a train and as a result, had to fight for life against death, good against evil, and an attempt at daily self-will. Fortunately, this kind of amputation allowed me to still play the drums relatively easy with the use of prosthetics. The kind of prosthetics I use are as follows: Geo-Lite Friction/Policentric Knee with Impulsor by Ohiow Willow Wood • Trans-Tibial Alpha Liners by Ohiow Willow Wood • Trans-Femoral Suction Socket Casting by Nova Ortopedia • a Pair of Fiber-Glass Tubes (shin) by Ossur • A pair of Sure-Flex by Flex-Foot, Ossur. With these prosthetics I can still take control of my bass drum pedal. I discharge the right knee weight on the bass drum pedal and allow a very tight spring tension to give me immediate return and rebound. I also use a toe-stop in order to keep my foot centered on the pedal. The hi-hat, however, I have no control over due to my left leg and knee have a contracture and it can't bend completely. I use the hi-hat in two positions, either open or closed completely. I want to show through my story, the human beings ability to get overcome any obstacle. To overcome them and be back on his or her feet after a tragedy which may happen to any of us. I also want to show how much music can be a wonder possibility to all of us and how in my case, it ultimately made me decide to take action. "Determination" is my motto. I hope that my example gives inspiration to those who may have lost hope in life. BE AWARE THAT YOU HAVE LOST A LIMB, HAD A PART OF YOUR BODY AMPUTATED,BUT YOU HAVEN'T HAD YOUR HEART AND YOUR LOVE FOR LIFE, YOU HAVEN'T HAD YOUR INTELLIGENCE,FEELINGS, SKILLS, YOUR MUSICALITY AMPUTATED FOR EVERYTHING IS VIBRATION.there, you'll be able If I got to do much more."God gives us each day a page of new life in the book of time. What we write on it, it's up to us". Emmanuel ............